Description

City of Military Glory is an honorary title bestowed upon the citizenry of Russian cities, where defenders had displayed courage, steadfastness, and mass heroism in the fight for their Fatherland’s freedom and independence during the Second World War.

Pskov, one of the oldest Russian cities, was first mentioned in the Laurentian Chronicle in 903. The original name of Pskov was “Pleskov” meaning “the town of purling water”. Until the 12th century, Pskov was part of the Old Russian state. In 1136, after the proclamation of the Novgorod Republic, the town came under the rule of Novgorod. In 1240, Pskov was captured by the Teutonic Order. The town was liberated by the army of Alexander Nevsky in 1242.

During World War II, the medieval citadel provided little protection against modern artillery of Wehrmacht, and Pskov suffered substantial damage during the German occupation from July 9, 1941 until July 23, 1944. A huge portion of the population died during the war, and Pskov has since struggled to regain its traditional position as a major industrial and cultural center of Western Russia.